Amsterdam-based technology specialist Hubby has joined the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers as part of its move into the UK market.
The eSim provider has just launched in the UK, integrating its solution with online travel agency On the Beach.
The Hubby eSim integration with On the Beach enables the OTA to offer free mobile data to package holiday customers as part of its perks proposition.
Thijs van der Wijk, Hubby co-founder and chief executive, said: “Travel and adventure are in our blood and we’re on a mission to enable seamless digital connection to deliver game-changing improvements to the travel experience. Atas membership is a match made in heaven for Hubby.”
He said added: “We want to connect with more agents to help them harness the power of mobile connectivity and improve the travel experience for their customers.
“The UK is a well-established travel market, so we see a big opportunity to help agents connect with their customers when abroad.
“Global data roaming, particularly for UK travellers post-Brexit, simply isn’t good enough — roaming charges are expensive and public Wi-Fi is insecure and unreliable, so we’re here to fix that.
“We’ve designed the Hubby eSim specifically with travel agents and tour operators in mind, so we have a solution that is quick and easy to integrate.”
Through Atas, Hubby aims to showcase to agents how its eSim can enable secure, reliable mobile connectivity, especially in adventure travel and touring.
“After our launch with On the Beach, we’ve seen incredible interest from all corners of the UK travel trade, from small tour operators to large consortia,” added van der Wijk.
“We’re planning on serving as many UK partners as possible with our eSim solution this summer, and in autumn 2024 we have our annual strategy weekend with our partners where we align on their needs and start developing new products over the winter.”
He highlighted how expensive global default roaming charges can “detract from the travel experience and overshadow the joy, spontaneity and adventure of travel”.
“Partnering with Hubby offers agents the priceless security of knowing their customers are connected and contactable during disruption too,” he added.
“Agents can offer our eSim solution as a thoughtful addition to a package, or as an innovative ancillary, making their overall proposition more attractive.
“As a perk, this can help agents differentiate and, in turn, help drive customer loyalty, repeat bookings and incremental revenue.
“The insights that we can provide into customer behaviour, eSim usage and engagement can also assist in understanding customers better, providing further opportunities for ancillary sales.
“There is no up-front cost for integrating Hubby; we wanted to offer a low-risk pricing model so our partners only pay for what their customers use.
“In terms of what agents can earn, there is plenty of opportunity here, so we’d encourage agents to get in touch with us to find out more.
“We offer 24/7 support to agents and their customers and a personal, end-to-end service to ensure set up is quick and easy.”
Van der Wijk and co-founder Boris Bijlstra say they are both keen travellers.
“We’re adventurous types, Boris is a huge fan of Australia and I love Namibia, and we know that exploring off the beaten path makes data connectivity even more challenging, so it’s an issue we’re self-motivated to fix,” he added.
The name Hubby comes from the roots of the company, which started by offering a Wi-Fi rental solution to international guests in hotel lobbies.
“Our internet hardware ‘Hub’ was popular, but we knew that a digital, portable solution was the future, so we developed our eSim solution and the name ‘Hubby’ stuck – it represents real-world connection when travelling, quite nicely,” said van der Wijk.
Claire Brighton, Atas director, said: “We’re so delighted to welcome Hubby onboard as they move into the UK market.
“It’s great for us to showcase a different service in the sector, from a team that is passionate about adventure and touring.”
Pictured from left: co-founders Boris Bijlstra and Thijs van der Wijk